was governor of Massachusetts from 1741 to 1756.
His correspondence, edited by Charles H. Lincoln, has been published
in two volumes by the National Society of the Colonial Dames of
America.]

The Petition of Edward Winter of Boston Blacksmith Humbly Sheweth,

That in the Year 1744 there were nine persons committed to the County
Goal[3] in Boston, being charged with committing divers acts of
Piracy, Hostility etc. on the high Seas and soon after they were put
into Goal, they attempted to get off their Irons and make their Escape
but being discovered were prevented, and thereupon your Petr: was
ordered to Search and Examine their Irons several times in a week,
which he accordingly did from the 12th day of January 1744 to the 23d
of July 1746, 253 times, and charged the Province for the same the
small price of one shilling a time, amounting in the whole to L12. 13.
0 bills of the last tenor,[4] and put in his Bill to the Committee
appointed by the special Court of Admiralty who try'd said Prisoners,
to Examine the Acco'ts of Charges that had arisen on said Prisoners,
but the same was not allowed by them, they apprehending the Pet'rs
Bill sho'd be paid by the County (tho' all other charges upon 'em the
Province paid) and said Committee accordingly recommended it to the
Court of Sessions to pay the same, to whom your Petr. has since appl'd
but they absolutely refused paying it, so that your Petr. unless that
he is relieved by this Hon: Court is like to suffer greatly.

[Footnote 3: Gaol.]

[Footnote 4: Massachusetts began the issue of provincial paper money
in 1690, and continued it till 1748. Its bills of credit were
distinguished, according to the form of these promises to pay, into
three varieties: old tenor (issues of 1690-1737), middle tenor
(1737-1740), and new tenor (1740-1748). New tenor bills, here spoken
of, were at this date valued at about one-tenth of the corresponding
sum in specie.]

Your Petr. therefore prays your Excellency and Honours will be pleased
to take the premises into Consideration, and as all the other charges
were paid by the Province, he prays he mayn't be the only sufferer,
but that you'l be pleas'd to order Payment of his Acco't out of the
Treasury accordingly.

And as in Duty Bound he shall pray etc.

EDWARD WINTER.

In the House of Rep'tives June 28: 1749.

Read and ordered That there be granted and allowed to be payd to the
Petitioner Edw'd Winter out of the Province Treasury th